Boy or Girl?

We had a very exciting news last week. On Thursday (9/25), Jason and I had the awesome experience of seeing the lastest member of the Sharp family during our ultrasound. We got to see the baby yawn and smile and wiggle all around. The baby was very active and so we got great pictures and great video clips.

The best news of all is that the radiologist said all looked normal and he saw no signs of an unhealthy baby. We were so relieved to hear that. That is the best news of all. We are so blessed to be so lucky!

Of course, then came the announcement everyone else was waiting for.....is it a boy or girl?

IT'S A GIRL!!!

We are very excited to be adding another princess to the Sharp household. Bailey is thrilled! She always wants to see the pictures of her baby sister and she is so proud to be a "big sister". She's still trying to grasp the baby living in my stomach. She thinks I can just take her out and put her back in whenever I want to. We are so glad that she is accepting her new sister so well.

Thanks to all for sharing our joy. Below are a few pictures of our angel.

The Path to Becoming A Teacher Has Begun

Hurricane Ike dominated our thoughts the last few weeks. However, one other exciting event that occurred is the start of my teacher certification program. I started on Wednesday, September 10th and it is going well. At first I was a little overwhelmed with all the activities, reading, and assignments. Now I have the hang of the online system and how it works and I'm moving right along.

Over the next 15 weeks, there are five courses to take. With the exception of the first course, all other courses contain approximately four to six different modules. These modules contains readings, assignments, and tests. Each module has to be completed weekly. In addition to the online work, we are also required to complete 30 hours of classroom observation.

On Sunday, September 14th, I completed my first course (the one without modules). It was an online induction course that included such things as introducing yourself, how to use the software, and simple research techniques to help make things easier in the online course and the classroom. I am proud to say that I made a perfect score (100%) in that course.

I have now moved on to the next course - English Language Arts. I have currently completed 4 out of the 5 activities in the first module. Due to Hurricane Ike, our due dates are going to be revised so I don't know exactly when Module One of this course will be due. However, I am hoping to stay on the original due dates so that I have flexibility when needed later on.

I am so excited to have started this journey. I will keep everyone up to date on my progress.

Hurricane Ike Aftermath

Thankfully Hurricane Ike is over. It hit landfall about 4 am Saturday morning and about the same time, our electricity went out. Luckily, our power was restored about 3 pm on Saturday so we were very fortunate for that. It was definitely a long 24 hours.

However, we are lucky ones. Hurricane Ike reaped havoc on our trees in the backyard - one uprooted, one bent, and a large limb was taken off another one. We also found one shingle in our yard and a bent rose bush. Other than that, nothing of significance. We did have water come through our chimney but only a little bit and only briefly so we think it just had to do with the amount of water blowing into the chimney. We will definitely keep an eye on it and have it checked out before winter just to be sure but we think it's nothing.

God was definitely with us during this ordeal and all is well here in the Sharp household. Bailey's school and our offices are closed until further notice so we are just enjoying a few days off to spend time together and do some household chores. I imagine life will be as we know it by the end of the week. Thanks for all your prayers. God heard them!

Hurricane Ike

Well, we are patiently awaiting Hurricane Ike to make landfall. As of now, they are expecting it to be a direct hit to Galveston which means we are in for an ugly 36 hours. We should start feeling the hurricane effects sometime early this afternoon. Ike is expected to make landfall around 7 am tomorrow. We are prepared for the worst but are hoping for some reprieve.

If you remember, it was almost 3 years ago this month that we were in the same position - me pregnant (although much farther along) anticipating a very horrific hit from Hurricane Rita. Luckily, Rita fizzled out right before she hit and we had about 5 or 6 hours of bad rain. Unfortunately, I am not feeling so confident regarding Ike.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We will keep you posted.

Potty Training Accident Tally

Bailey started a new class last Monday (8/25) and the teachers felt she was ready to use the potty like a big girl and wear panties. I'm not sure Bailey initially felt the same but she's coming around. The first week she cried every time she had to sit on the potty or wear panties. She even went so far as to say she didn't like Primrose anymore - which I knew was not true.

Soon enough, she was rushing out from the bathroom proudly yelling that she had used the potty. I have promised her a trip to the beach if she has no more accidents. (FYI - The beach really means to see Aunt Kathy and Kyle down in Corpus Christi with a brief outing to the beach.)

So....I've decided to keep an accident tally. Every day I will update this entry with the number of accidents she had that day. I'm doing it more for me than anything. This way I can tell when she has been consistent in not having accidents. Then....it's time for the beach! Keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted. In all honesty, it really hasn't been as bad as I had anticipated. It's not fun but she's catching on pretty quick. Check back for the latest.

Mon 8/25 - 4
Tue 8/26 - 3
Wed 8/27 - 1
Thu 8/28 - 1
Fri 8/29 - 1
Sat 8/30 - 1
Sun 8/31 - 1
Mon 9/01 - 2
Tue 9/02 - 4
Wed 9/03 - 1
Thu 9/04 - 0
Fri 9/05 - 0
Sat 9/06 - 1
Sun 9/07 - 0
Mon 9/08 - 1
Tues 9/09 - 1
Wed 9/10 - 0
Thurs 9/11 - 1
Fri 9/12 - 0
Sat 9/13 - 2
Sun 9/14 - 0
Mon 9/15 - 1
Tues 9/16 - 0
Wed 9/17 - 0
Thurs 9/18 - 0

Update on 9/18/08: I am discontinuing the potty training tally. Bailey is down to no more than 1 accident a day (if that). The last three days she has had no accidents. So....I think we have seen enough progress in the two weeks since this has started that I'm comfortable saying - WE ARE POTTY TRAINED!!!